The Role of
Muslims Martial Races of Today’s Pakistan in British-Indian Army in World War-II*

Columnist Brig (Retd) NOOR A HUSAIN writes about the
Muslims in the British Army during World War 2

Introduction

The
British Indian Army during World War II was the largest volunteer army the world has known
with long martial traditions going back to the advent of the British in the subcontinent,
even earlier. First raised as door keepers and trained bands to guard factories of early
merchants, it grew into the army of John Company Bahadur, and subsequently grew into
Presidency armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay in 1795, after the fall of French
Pondicherry in 1793. After 1857, the Crown abolished these Presidency Armies and took over
their control and reorganisation. For almost 90 years thereafter, after various
reorganisations, the British Indian Army distinguished itself in many wars, campaigns,
expeditions in India, Asia, Africa, and Europe under the British flag.

The Political Scene in 1939-1940

Since the British Indian Army was a voluntary army, it would be pertinent to briefly
recall the political scene in India. When the Second World War broke out in September 1939
and Viceroy Linlithgow announced that India was at war, there were two main political
parties in India - the Indian National Congress, led by Mr Gandhi and the All India Muslim
League headed by Mr. Jinnah. in 1940 when Great Britain braced herself to face a German
invasion and General Weygand told Churchill that Britain’s neck would be wrung like a
chicken in 15 days, Mr Gandhi published an “open letter” to every Britain” “urging
cessation of hostilities”. He said:

“No cause, however just can warrant the indiscriminate slaughter that is going on
minute to minute ... I do not want Britain to be defeated, nor do I want her to be
victorious in a trial of brute strength ... I want you to fight Nazism without arms ... I
want you to lay down the arms you have as being useless for saving you or humanity. You
will invite Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini to take what they want of the countries you
call your possessions. Let them take possession of your beautiful island with your many
beautiful buildings. You will give all these, but neither your souls nor your minds. If
these gentlemen choose to occupy your homes, you will vacate them. If they do not give you
free passage out, you will allow yourself, man, woman and child to be slaughtered, but you
will refuse to owe allegiance to them ... I am telling His Excellency the Viceroy that my
services are at the disposal of His Majesty’s Government, should they consider them of
any practical use in enhancing my appeal....1

On the other hand the sympathies of the All India Muslim League were clearly on the
side of the Allies as against the Axis powers.2 Mr. Jinnah had even said that if Britain
lost, the Muslims were likely to suffer.3 L.S. Amery, Secretary of State for India in a
confidential press briefing emphasized the fact that “to a large extent India’s fighting
war effort was dependent on Muslim effort”4. Churchill emphasized that the British “must
not on any account break with the Muslims who represented a hundred million people and
represented the main army elements on which the British must rely for the immediate
fighting”5.

The Army’s Expansion

The Indian Army expanded from about 189,000 in October 1939 to 2,500,000 by 1945. In
1939 there were 78 infantry battalions, 20 Gurkha battalions, 18 Cavalry units. The
officer strength was 3,000 British; 1,115 Indian. By 1945 these were about 34,500 British,
15,740 Indian officers, of all classes.

The Army took part in campaigns in France, East Africa, North Africa, Syria, Tunisia,
Malaya, Burma, Greece, Sicily and Italy. During the war it was organised under one Army
Group, four armies, seven Indian Corps, four Armoured Divisions, one Air Borne Division,
and twenty three Infantry Divisions. Some of these were lost in Malaya-Singapore, a few
re-organised as Lines of Communication Commands in Middle East.

Even before September 1939 troops of the Indian Army were on station duty in Egypt,
Palestine, Iraq, Aden, the Gulf, Burma, Malaya and Hong Kong. The first and only units of
the Indian Army that took part in the war in France were four animal transport companies
of Royal Indian Army Service Corps with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. While the
personnel were evacuated, the gallant horses and mules were undoubtedly given resident
status in France were four animal transport companies of Royal Indian Army Service Corps
with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940. While the personnel were evacuated the
gallant horses and mules were undoubtedly given resident status in France.

The 14th Army in Burma was the single largest army in the world. Its battle front of
700 miles was approximately as long as the Russian front against Germany 6.

Writer’s Note: (In addition approximately 62,507 from b.c.d, above died). 160,000 of
the total casualties are commemorated in war cemeteries in fifty countries extending from
the Pacific Islands to UK, according to Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Indian Army won 31 Victoria Crosses and out of a total of 27 Victoria Crosses
awarded for the Burma campaign 20 were personnel of the Indian Army. The total gallantry
awards were 4028.8 Four Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers and units of present day
Pakistan. For V.C. citation of Sepoy Ali Haider see Annexure A.

Composition of the Army - 1940-1947

Annexure B shows the composition of the British Indian Army. It will be noticed that
the percentage of Muslims decreased after 1 January 1942 not because of paucity of
volunteer recruits but because of Government of India policy, as the demand for Pakistan
built up 1940 onwards. But these figures do not represent Muslim races of present day
Pakistan only. On the eve of World War II almost 34,000 Punjabi Muslims were in the army
(29 per cent) and during World War-II over 380,000 joined (about 14% of the total). No
other class came close to these figures: Sikhs: 116,000, Gurkhas: 109,000, Muslims of
other classes from UP, Deccan, Madras, Bengal, NWFP, etc 274,000, were recruited during
1939-1945. Muslims as a whole constituted a quarter of the Indian Army as of 1947 9....

Almost 70 per cent of the wartime recruitment was from what became Pakistan had been
from the undivided Punjab, 19.5 per cent from NWFP, 2.2 per cent from Sindh, and 0.06 per
cent from Baluchistan.10 The three semi-arid districts of Punjab-Rawalpindi, Jhelum,
Attock (Campbellpur) and two districts of NWFP-Kohat and Mardan pre-dominated in supplying
recruit volunteers in World War II. Today the recruitment base has enlarged. Now ethnic
Baluchis, and Bruhis, who were recruited till the middle of the 19th century, and Sindhis
are coming into the Pakistan army in large numbers for Baluch and Sind Regiments.
Recruitment of Muslim personnel from Jammu and Kashmir were considered under Punjabi
Muslims in World War II. Today they have their own Azad Kashmir Regiment.

Some sixty thousand or so Bengali Muslims (former East Pakistan) also served in World
War II in pioneer construction roles.

Class Composition - Infantry

During World War II the increase in the combat arms specially infantry was from 96
units to 228 units, excluding Indian State Forces. In Cavalry from 18 to 19 armoured units
and artillery from 7 to 61 units. An analysis of the class composition of infantry
regiments would be useful. Please see Annexure C. Noteworthy is the fact that as a matter
of policy there were no complete Muslim infantry units since 1857, although there were
complete Hindu, Sikh, Gurkha infantry units. Based on the recruiting areas, five Punjab
regiments (excluding 2 Punjab), the Baluch Regiment, the Frontier Force Regiment and the
Frontier Force Rifles i.e, a total of 6 infantry regiments came to Pakistan Army’s share
in 1947. Thereafter a Bengal Regiment (till 1971) an Azad Kashmir Regiment and a Sind
Regiment have been raised.

Brigadier M. I. Qureshi has very ably covered the role of Pakistan’s Punjab Regiments
in Second World War. I will refrain from tautology, and confine my analysis of the roles
of the Baluch Regiment, The Frontier Force Regiment and the Frontier Force Rifles only. I
regret I am unable to cover the roles of other arms and services that were organised on
“all class” basis, except Guides Cavalry. That requires a major effort in sifting of
data, not quite available to me.

The Baluch Regiment in World War II

The Baluch Regiment fielded some 16 battalions and 5 Garrison companies. Their awards
and decorations collated from names of Muslims totalled: 289, including one Victoria
Cross.11 Exact figures of their casualties are not available.

The Frontier Force Regiment in World War II

The Frontier Force Regiment fielded some 12 battalions, 1 Garrison battalion, and 3
Garrison companies. Their awards and decorations, were collated from names of Muslim
elements, except those of Mention in Dispatches and Jangi Inams which were collated on 10%
of officers and 50% for JCOs and ORs on class composition basis totalled: 458
approximately. Casualties - killed in action, wounded or died from wounds sustained
totalled: 2,44312 approximately. These were calculated from total on basis of 10% for
officers, 50% for JCOs and ORs on class composition basis.

Awards and decorations, collated by names of Muslim elements totalled 400 including one
Victoria Cross, see citation at Annexure A.

Figures of Mention in Despatches and Jangi Inams were collated on basis of 10% for
officers, 50% for JCOs and ORs respectively on class composition basis. Casualties -
killed in action, wounded or died from wounds sustained totalled, 3,126 13 approximately.
These were also collated on 10% for officers, 50% for JCOs and ORs on basis of class
composition.

Conclusion

The achievements of the Muslim Martial Races of Today’s Pakistan in the British Indian
Army in World War II are considerable. Awards and decorations are not always an accurate
gauge of their supreme sacrifices. These units, as also Muslims of other arms and services
took part in all campaigns in the various theatres in World War II from 1939-1945, and
even after the surrender of Japan, in Java, Sumatra and Indo China.

What motivated these youngmen to volunteer, give their lives and suffer captivity and
privation, in distant lands? The answer is military traditions, a sense of adventure, a
livelihood for as long as they lived, loyalty to their oath and flag, fighting aggression
and oppression.

Since 1947, their sons and grandsons have been deterring, defending and defeating
aggression against Pakistan’s eastern, northern and western frontiers under the Pakistan
flag.

Since the 1960s they have also been serving under the UNO flag in 16 different
countries at different times in Asia, Europe, Africa and Central America in peacekeeping,
peace-making and peace enforcing roles, keeping alive their glorious traditions of
professionalism.

*Paper presented at the International Conference on The British Commonwealth and the
Allied War Effort 1939-1945, St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, U.K. 6-8 April 1998.

ANNEXURE A - SEPOY ALI HAIDER

6th Royal Bn 13th Frontier Force Rifles

“In Italy, during the crossing of the River Senio, near Fusignano, in daylight on 9th
April, 1945, a Company of the 13th Frontier Force Rifles were ordered to assault the enemy
positions strongly dug in on the far bank. These positions had been prepared and improved
over many months, and were mainly on the steep flood banks, some 25 feet high.

“Sepoy Ali Haider was a member of the left-hand Section of the left-hand Platoon. As
soon as the Platoon started to cross, it came under heavy and accurate machine-gun like
from two enemy posts strongly dug in about 60 yards away. Sepoy Ali Haider’s Section
suffered casualties and only 3 men, including himself, managed to get across. The
remainder of the Company was temporarily held up. Without orders, and on his own
initiative, Sepoy Ali Haider, leaving the other two to cover him, charged the nearest post
which was about 30 yards away. He threw a grenade and almost at the same time the enemy
threw one at him, wounding him severely in the back. In spite of this he kept on and the
enemy post was destroyed and four of the enemy surrendered. With utter disregard of his
own wounds he continued and charged the next post in which the enemy had one Spandau and
three automatics, which were still very active and preventing movement on both banks. He
was again wounded, this time in the right leg and the right arm. Although weakened by loss
of blood, with great determination Sepoy Ali Haider crawled closer and in a final effort
raised himself from the ground, threw a grenade and charged into the second enemy post.
Two of the enemy were wounded and the remaining two surrendered.

“Taking advantage of the outstanding success of Sepoy Ali Haider’s dauntless attacks,
the rest of the Company charged across the river and carried out their task of making a
bridgehead.

“Sepoy Ali Haider was picked up and brought back from the second position seriously
wounded.

“The conspicuous gallantry, initiative and determination combined with a complete
disregard for his own life shown by this very brave Sepoy in the face of heavy odds were
an example to the whole Company. His heroism had saved an ugly situation which would - but
for his personal bravery - have caused the Battalion a large number of casualties at a
critical time and seriously delayed the crossing of the river and the building of a
bridge. With the rapid advance which it was possible to make the Battalion captured 3
officers and 217 other ranks and gained their objectives.”

- London Gazette, 3rd July, 1945

ANNEXURE B

RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION OF THE INDIAN ARMY 1940 -
1947

Jan.1, 1940

Jan.1, 1942

Jan.1, 1945

Feb.1, 1946

Jan. 1, 1947

April 1, 1947

June 1, 1947

July 1, 1947

Muslims

Number

92,841

279,507

447,580

402,070

205,820

148,607

138,892

135,268

Percentage

37.518

37.626

32.016

32.405

31.762

32.653

36.189

36.210

Hindus

Number

93,132

299,850

649,900

602,320

309,360

210,615

159,783

154,780

Percentage

37.635

40.364

46.488

48.546

47.741

46.278

41.632

41.433

Sikhs

Number

31,797

79,118

94,270

86,350

49,560

38,760

35,550

35,390

Percentage

12.850

10.650

6.740

6.960

7.648

8.517

9.263

9.473

Christians and others

Number

2,494

19,715

141,830

68,710

31,700

17,157

17,025

16,382

Percentage

1.007

2.654

10.145

5.538

4.819

3.770

4.436

4.386

Gurkhas

Number

27,196

64,681

103,260

81,280

51,560

40,110

32,555

31,750

Percentage

10.990

8.707

7.390

6.550

4.957

8.813

8.482

8.499

247,460

742,871

1,436,840

1,240,730

648,000

455,249

383,805

373,570

Source: India, Annual Return showing the Class Composition of the Indian
Army, Indian States Forces, Frontier Corps and Levies, Military Police, Assam Rifles,
Burma Frontier Force and Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery on 1st January 1933 to 1940,
pp. 126-29, IOR: L/Mil/14/236; Annual Return on 1st January 1942, pp. 186-9, IOR:
L/Mil/14/236; GHQ India to War Office, letter, February 21, 1945, March 14, 1946, February
7, 1947, May 7, 1947, July 5, 1947, and July 30, 1947.